How to Change Your Name After Marriage in Mississippi

The winning sequence in Mississippi is: certified marriage certificate → Social Security (free, first) → wait 24–48 hours → Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau → passport → notify everyone. Each step verifies against the one before it, so order matters.

Order 3–5 certified copies from the Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Records & Statistics. Photocopies aren't accepted.

Good to know for Mississippi: Certified marriage certificates cost $17 (search + first copy; $6 each additional copy at same time). Order online/by phone through VitalChek (state-authorized vendor, https://www.vitalchek.com/vital-records/mississippi), by mail with a cashier's check/money order, or in person at the Ridgeland office (222 Marketridge Drive). Records for July 1938-Dec 1941 marriages are held by the county Circuit Clerk instead of MSDH.

File the free SS-5 with Social Security first, wait 24–48 hours, then update your license at the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau (typically a standard replacement-license fee (not published; confirm with the agency)). Bring:

• Certified/original marriage license (only original or certified copies accepted, no photocopies)
• Current Mississippi driver's license or ID card
• Original or certified birth certificate
• Social Security card
• Two proofs of Mississippi residency

Update your passport, then your Mississippi voter registration (Voter registration (new or updated, e.g., after a name change) must be received by the county Circuit Clerk or postmarked at least 30 days before an election; if the 30th day falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. Mississippi has no same-day registration.), and finally your bank, employer, and insurers.